Written by

Walter F. Roche Jr.

The Tennessean

On the eve of a new season, the Nashville Symphony Association has reached a tentative agreement with the musicians union, although no details have been disclosed.

The agreement was acknowledged late Friday in a brief statement from the musicians union, Local 257 of the American Federation of Musicians.

“The agreement is pending ratification by the members,” the union said in a one-paragraph statement, adding that no further details will be released until the ratification has been “successfully completed.”

The agreement was also acknowledged by symphony officials, who posted a notice to patrons on the symphony website late Friday.

“We will share more information with you as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please know how much we value you, and how much we look forward to serving you with great music here at Schermerhorn Symphony Center and out in the community,” Symphony Chairman Ed Goodrich and CEO Alan Valentine wrote in the message.

The orchestra’s old contract expired at the end of July.

The tentative agreement comes on the heels of a last-minute deal that averted a foreclosure on the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

The rescue came with the substantial financial assistance of Martha Ingram, a former board chairwoman.

A company owned by Ingram now holds a $20 million mortgage on the concert hall and the $83.5 million balance on a bank loan has been erased.

As part of the deal, Ingram also accelerated a previously promised capital contribution and the symphony used $35 million in liquid assets to help satisfy the loan with a group of banks headed by Bank of America.